Chapter 884: Dark Hand

Ying Wuji had survived a great ordeal; so too had Lu Ye.

At this moment, he stood motionless, gazing at the three rapidly receding figures, his expression grave. Just now, a powerful individual had secretly helped him, saving him from a life-or-death crisis. He instinctively assumed it was a Myriad Demon Ridge powerhouse. But by now, he realized that the one who acted was not from Myriad Demon Ridge at all, but Nian Yuxian, hidden in the shadows.

There was no longer any need to question why his own Fort Master was here; the immense commotion must have drawn her. From his second senior sister, Lu Ye had learned some things about Nian Yuxian and knew she was an exceptionally powerful spectral cultivator. A spectral cultivator like her, if she truly intended to conceal herself, Myriad Demon Ridge might never have found her whereabouts. However, she was now exposed.

Connecting the dots from earlier events, Lu Ye immediately understood: he had dragged her into this! Nian Yuxian must have recognized him and, seeing him in dire peril, secretly intervened, which ultimately exposed a flaw to the Divine Sea Realm cultivators of Myriad Demon Ridge.

He turned to survey his surroundings. The battle situation here had largely stabilized. The strongest Divine Sea Realm cultivator of the Fire Spirit Clan was severely wounded and entangled by Tan Yaoniang, making escape difficult. The other members of the Fire Spirit Clan also suffered heavy casualties, and it was only a matter of time before Myriad Demon Ridge claimed final victory.

The area was a cacophony of noise and chaos. Nearly everyone's attention was riveted on the commotion caused by the Divine Sea Realm cultivators. Seeing that no one was paying him any mind, Lu Ye quickly activated his concealment spiritual pattern and swiftly darted out of the city. Nian Yuxian was indeed formidable, but battling three against one, she might not emerge unscathed. He had to follow and assess the situation. Although the conflicts between Divine Sea Realm cultivators were far beyond his current level, Nian Yuxian was ultimately implicated because of him, so he couldn't simply abandon her.

Under normal circumstances, entering and exiting Solitary Mountain Fort would not be easy, but with the protective formation now shut down and the city in disarray, who would expect a Grand Heaven Alliance cultivator to stealthily depart? Everything proceeded smoothly until he was well away from the tumultuous battlefield. Only then did Lu Ye deactivate his concealment spiritual pattern. A pair of fiery wings unfurled behind him, transforming into a streak of fire as he pursued the trail of the fierce battle.

Based on Nian Yuxian's escape direction, she seemed to be heading towards Azure Flame Fort. However, the two forts were a thousand miles apart, and even for a grand Divine Sea Realm cultivator, flying there would take some time. Moreover, Azure Flame Fort was deserted. Even if Nian Yuxian returned there, she would have no allies. In such a predicament, her best course of action would have been to flee towards a Grand Heaven Alliance fort closer to Azure Flame Fort. Only by doing so could she hope for reinforcement from Grand Heaven Alliance Divine Sea Realm cultivators. But Lu Ye didn't know why she hadn't done that. It was highly probable that she had no rapport with neighboring forts, or that the enemy had sealed off her escape routes, forcing her to flee only towards Azure Flame Fort.

A few tens of miles further, intense spiritual power fluctuations emanated from that direction, powerful aftershocks sweeping in all directions like ripples. Lu Ye's heart sank. His worst fears had materialized. Nian Yuxian hadn't managed to escape. Logically, as a sword cultivator, her speed should be unparalleled, making escape impossible to prevent. The fact that she had been caught implied the enemy must have activated some secret art. Recalling Wan Zhanggang's earlier pursuit, cloaked in a mass of bloody light, Lu Ye realized he had underestimated this individual's determination to eliminate Nian Yuxian. That shroud of blood light around Wan Zhanggang was undoubtedly a speed-enhancing secret art. He had previously seen Ying Wuji use a similar secret art in Mount Taimang, though Ying Wuji had used it for evasion!

His spirits heavy, he drew closer to the battlefield, carefully concealing his aura and movements. Looking up, he saw four figures engaged in a fierce battle in the sky. A grim, cloud-like sword sea stood tall, forming a majestic sword array, with flying swords endlessly weaving in and out. Within that sword sea, Nian Yuxian stood defiantly. The burly Wan Zhanggang and the other two spectral cultivators launched continuous assaults, only to be forced back by the fierce flying swords. All three Divine Sea Realm cultivators were bleeding profusely, clearly wounded by the flying swords.

Lu Ye couldn't discern the specific type of sword array Nian Yuxian had deployed, but such a formidable array surely consumed immense energy. Moreover, faint traces of blood were visible at the corners of Nian Yuxian's mouth, indicating she too had sustained injuries. The situation seemed dire! Nian Yuxian's current state was clearly defensive. Her opponents found it difficult to breach the sword array's defenses, but without its protection, she would likely face a grim fate. In such a scenario, her opponents only needed to slowly deplete her strength. Eventually, the sword array would collapse, signaling her demise!

He had to find a way. Not only was Nian Yuxian now his immediate superior, but she had also exposed herself by saving him earlier. Lu Ye couldn't stand by and watch her meet her end. Before Nian Yuxian had acted to save him, she must have known the potential consequences, yet she still chose to intervene...

The celestial battle raged on. Lu Ye no longer hesitated. He retrieved Amber from his spirit beast bag, summoned Yiyi, and simultaneously raised both hands, pressing them against them. Spiritual energy surged, and a spiritual pattern was simultaneously formed on both the spirit and the tiger.

Within the volcano crater of Azure Flame Mountain, Lu Ye had finally activated the spiritual pattern he had eagerly anticipated for months. To his dismay, it wasn't the Void Spiritual Pattern he had hoped for, but a rather impractical one: Mimic Authority! This spiritual pattern had no substantial effect, merely allowing him to simulate powerful pressure using its energy. The intensity of this pressure depended on the amount of spiritual energy infused into it. This spiritual pattern offered no direct increase in Lu Ye's strength, and coupled with his dashed expectations, he initially considered it utterly useless. However, in this situation, a direct confrontation with the enemy was unrealistic. The disparity in strength was too vast; for him, a True Lake Realm First Stage cultivator, to interfere in a Divine Sea Realm battle would likely result in utter annihilation. Whether he could repel the enemy truly depended on whether this spiritual pattern would prove effective. Lu Ye had never activated this spiritual pattern before, so no one knew what effects it would yield. At this moment, he could only resort to this last-ditch effort.

Lu Ye briefly explained the spiritual pattern's function to Yiyi and Amber, and the spirit and the tiger immediately grasped his intent. Having spent so much time together, they already shared a telepathic understanding. Amber immediately changed direction and galloped off, while Yiyi burrowed underground, closely following Amber. He couldn't activate Mimic Authority's power from this position. The distance was too close, making it easy to see through. Only by moving further away, ensuring the enemy couldn't discern the truth, could this spiritual pattern produce a miraculous effect.

After Amber and Yiyi had departed, Lu Ye continued to advance stealthily. Ordinarily, a True Lake Realm cultivator like him attempting to approach Divine Sea Realm cultivators would have his presence exposed long ago. But at this moment, the four individuals in the sky were embroiled in a fierce battle; who had the spare mental energy to observe their surroundings? This provided him with a window of opportunity.

Just then, a furious roar echoed from the sky: "I'll break the formation! You two find an opening!" It was Wan Zhanggang, growing agitated. He couldn't help but be agitated. Although he knew that by merely grinding her down, Nian Yuxian would eventually be doomed, prolonging the battle risked complications. If Nian Yuxian sent for reinforcements, Grand Heaven Alliance powerhouses would swiftly arrive. They had paid a heavy price this time to finally corner this woman. If they didn't seize the chance to kill her, they would never get such an opportune moment again. Therefore, one person had to be responsible for breaching Nian Yuxian's sword array. As a body cultivator and the leader of this engagement, he was naturally the ideal candidate.

"Be careful!" one of the Myriad Demon Ridge spectral cultivators cautioned.

Wan Zhanggang roared, his entire being seemingly aflame with surging vital energy, as he bravely plunged into the sword array. The incessant sounds of objects tearing through the air filled the space, and the sword light flashed with chilling ferocity. Even a Divine Sea Realm body cultivator like Wan Zhanggang found it difficult to withstand a sword cultivator's devastating offensive. As he charged into the array, blood spurted from his body, leaving him covered in wounds. He gritted his teeth, refusing to retreat, his entire form like a blazing sun crashing into the heart of the sword array. The sword array's power erupted, tearing at his flesh and causing it to ripple, but as he drew closer, the orderly sword light also began to falter.

How could the two spectral cultivators let such a prime opportunity slip by? They attacked from both flanks. Nian Yuxian, who commanded the sword array, a cold glint flashing in her eyes, ignored the two attacking spectral cultivators. She poured all her strength, and the boundless sword light suddenly converged, sweeping across the sky in a single strike aimed at Wan Zhanggang. She was determined to perish with Wan Zhanggang! Seeing her grim resolve, Wan Zhanggang's eyelids involuntarily twitched. The two spectral cultivators, who were initially assailing Nian Yuxian simultaneously, spontaneously split off one person, who darted to Wan Zhanggang's side to help him fend off the power of this single sword strike.

Just then, the astonishing sword energy cleaved into two. "Not good!" Wan Zhanggang exclaimed in a low voice, having discerned Nian Yuxian's true intention. Her intent to perish with him was merely a feint; her true target was one of the spectral cultivators. As the sword light descended, all four figures appeared disheveled. Wan Zhanggang and the spectral cultivator beside him barely managed to withstand the force of one sword energy, their already heavily injured bodies becoming even more wretched. The spectral cultivator next to him also let out a muffled grunt. As for the other spectral cultivator, he was nearly bisected and would have died on the spot. Though he narrowly escaped death, he broke into a cold sweat and was grievously wounded in that instant. To injure three combined Divine Sea Realm cultivators of Myriad Demon Ridge single-handedly demonstrated Nian Yuxian's formidable strength.

However... This was all she had left to give! After unleashing that sword strike, Nian Yuxian's clothes were drenched in blood, and her figure plummeted from high in the sky like a kite with a snapped string, her face deathly pale.

"Die!" Wan Zhanggang roared, disregarding his severe injuries, and fiercely lunged at Nian Yuxian. Before he even reached her, he unleashed a punch, a fist-shadow infused with spiritual energy and vital blood tearing through the air. Facing such a punch, Nian Yuxian, though she sensed the danger, had no remaining strength to defend herself.

Just as he was about to finally eliminate this formidable foe who had plagued him for decades, Wan Zhanggang's peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a figure, burning with flames, charging forth. The figure swiftly scooped up Nian Yuxian's body, a pair of fiery red wings unfurled behind him, and immediately attempted to flee into the distance. The fist-shadow struck empty air, but its explosive aftershocks slammed into the suddenly appearing figure like a raging storm, causing him to stumble. Wan Zhanggang was so incensed he let out a laugh, for the assailant who had appeared so abruptly was merely a True Lake Realm First Stage cultivator!